One warm Sunday this August, Hicham BenMbarek, an artisan with Moroccan roots received a visit from a special tourist in his shop in Via della Vigna Nuova in Florence: Sheik Hamed Bin Khalifa Al Thani (pictured in the shop in Florence). The emir, whose family now owns half of Italy, or rather the Valentino maison […]
Technically it had expired on May 30. Following the umpteenth six-monthly extension, a mechanism that has been repeating itself since the Russian government decided to close its frontiers to exports of wet-blue. Officially, it was renewed on 27 July, with retroactive effect from 18 July, and is valid until 18 January 2017. The reason? Moscow […]
A lucky shoe from 300 years ago has been found inside the University of Cambridge. During restoration work on a room in the British university, a leather shoe was found, the left shoe of a pair in what today would be size 39. Nothing strange there. But the curiosity of the researchers was aroused by […]
Expectations met and new market feedback at Lineapelle New York, which took place on 19 and 20 July at the Metropolitan Pavilion. The 100 exhibitors present (+20% compared to the previous edition) exchanged views on a fundamental market for the Italian leather industry: +13% national tanned leather exports to Washington in the first quarter of […]
In the end, Albert Einstein’s leather jacket has “gone home”. The auction organised by Christie’s was in fact won by the brand that tailored it 80 years ago: Levi Strauss. Held in London on 14 July, the auction closed with an offer of £110,500 after a long series of ascending bids. Tracey Park, historian of […]
French industrial method and Italian quality for the luxury leather manufacturer. The Burgundy-based group Maroquinerie Thomas (1,250 employees, €100 million turnover, Hermès and Chanel among its customers) has bought 35% of B&G di Franco Baccani (two plants in the provinces of Florence and Arezzo, turnover of €9.5 million, Gucci and Cartier among the labels supplied) […]
The project is both ambitious and controversial. Tina Gorjanc, who gained her diploma at the Central Saint Martins College fashion school in London, wants to set up laboratory cultures of human skin using the DNA of Alexander McQueen, the volatile English designer who committed suicide in 2010. Once she has obtained a sufficient quantity of […]
The smartphone case is available in two versions: in calfskin and, the deluxe version, snakeskin, tanned in Italy. Both share a common characteristic: the colour of the material changes as the temperature or weather change or when the pressure rises. It is one of the pieces in the collection by The Unseen, a company formed […]
One day, one shot. It is the intensity and simplicity of relations between Italian exhibitors (41 for this edition) and British visitors, professionals from big labels and emerging designers, that characterise Lineapelle London. The latest edition, yesterday at the Ham Yard Hotel, was no exception. There was a good response from the public, which crowded […]
The July financial statement for the Italian leathergoods industry. This morning Aimpes/Mipel presented the industry’s current economic situation and new trends expected for the forthcoming international leathergoods industry fair from 3 to 6 September. We’ll start with the fair: in addition to confirming its organizational cooperation with theMicam, Mipel is launching a series of initiatives […]
Burberry has a new CEO: Marco Gobbetti, the president and managing Director of Cèline since 2008, will take over the reins at the British company in 2017. He is the son of the owner of Brusarosco (now a division of the Rino Mastrotto Group), Sirio Gobbetti; Brusarosco is the oldest tanning company in Italy still […]
Chanel has taken over the Richard Tannery in Millau. Mégisserie Richard specialises in the production of Lacaune et Entrefins lambskin, finished in various innovative ways: metallic, pearled, printed, painted etc. The company employs 40 people, exports about 60% of its production and is led by Xavier Richard, who will remain at the company’s operating helm. […]
The tradefair calendar is increasingly crowded in the first fortnight of September. In addition to Bread & Butter by Zalando (Berlin 2-4) and theMicam-Mipel (Milan 3-6), we also find Origin Passion and Beliefs (Milan 6-8, in conjunction with Milano Unica) and ILM-International Leather Goods Fair (Offenbach 10-12). Origin Passion and Beliefs is dedicated to fashion […]
Are we seeing a revolution in the luxury brands style offices? Never fear, the tanneries attending Anteprima by Lineapelle at FieraMilanocity (which ends today) say they are ready to face these changes with meticulous internal structures, in-depth research and a particular focus on service. “We need to be flexible”, say Bonaudo, “we are artisans of […]
The Tuscan leather district will shortly see the confirmation of its EMAS certification, the international environmental sustainability certification used to monitor the activities of tannery associations, enterprises and local public administrations. The three-year certification was last renewed in 2013, and over the past few days, the certifying body has completed its checks on the activities […]
The fate of a fair like Lineapelle, undisputed leader of the international leather industry, is continuing to repeat itself and, above all, overcome. This time, however, the record hit by the Milan event is perhaps more significant than many others, because not only reaffirms its importance, but, mostly, it demonstrates the power of attraction towards […]
The economic situation was and is difficult. The near future offers no particular hypothesis of simplification, starting with the effects, all to understand, of Brexit. Despite the difficult context, however, the picture of the Italian tanning industry, presented this morning at “Stelline” in Milan, on the occasion of the Annual Assembly of UNIC (Italian Tanning […]
“We resumed a transparent and constructive dialogue with all interlocutors, of the leather industry and not, public and private, while respecting mutual autonomy.” Gianni Russo, owner of Russo di Casandrino and Knight of Labor, underlines “the importance of dialogue and openness” during his first UNIC Assembly as president. Words “off the cuff”, pronounced after the […]
Around 22 on Tuesday night, at least three suicide bombers first fired on the crowd in the Ataturk airport’s arrivals in Istanbul, then blew themselves up. The provisional evaluation of the attack, according to initial assumptions due to ISIS, is 36 dead and over 140 wounded. A new shadow lengthens over Turkey, for months a […]
No Brexit effect on Satra certifications. Austin Simmons, general manager of the renowned center for research and technology hub based in the UK that analyzes consumer products, including leather accessories and footwear, declared. Simmons announced that the validity of his certificates “will not be affected by the upcoming exit of the UK from the EU. […]
